Catchment Change Network.net

Our first CCN Workshop on Water Scarcity will be held at the University of Birmingham School of Medical and Dental Sciences on Wednesday 10th February 2010.

As world leaders gather in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference, a new map has been launched that highlights the importance of limiting mean global temperature rise to no more than 2 °C above those prior to the industrial revolution. The Met Office map called ‘The impacts of a global temperature rise of 2 °C’ has been produced to complement a similar map, published in October by the UK Government and the Met Office, exploring at the impacts on a world if the mean temperature was allowed to climb to 4 °C above the pre-industrial climate average. The two maps together show the range of climate impacts that can be avoided if we act now to reduce global emissions to keep global temperatures below 2°C.

Water Quality 2010 offers a unique forum to discuss the many issues that affect the quality of water, from land management to water treatment processes.

With a changing climate and growing global population, water resources will be under an enormous strain and it is important that water quality is maintained to ensure safe drinking water and water suitable for food production as well as considering the implications for the wider environment. This conference provides an opportunity to discuss current and emerging issues of global water quality relevance.

Since its inception in 2002 the National Flood Forum (NFF) has become a credible and respected force in the world of Flood Risk Management providing a national voice for individuals and communities affected by flooding. Approximately 200 community groups have now registered with the NFF and we have helped thousands of individuals who ring us for advice on a daily basis. We have a close working relationship with Defra, the EA, the insurance industry and local authorities who face flooding problems, many of whom turn to us for advise on flood mitigation and engaging communities.

We look on this conference as a unique platform for those who are at risk of being flooded to meet, share experience and best practice with professionals from the flood risk management sector.

Sea level rise and land tilt is increasing the threats on our coast and tidally influenced communities, increasing precipitation, storminess and extreme river flows will increase our chance and frequency of extreme flood levels and flows. All these are happening against the background of an increasing population and the development of housing and industry t support this. Lest we forget, we are an Island, so there is nowhere to run.

Practitioners in the field of flood and coastal management are presently doing a lot of head scratching to address the challenges this brings to deliver sustainable communities into the future, where people, the economy and the environment all thrive.

This conference has been put together to share some of the emerging good practices both at the strategic scale and at the sharp end of delivery that are already tackling the challenges head on. It will also provide an opportunity to take stock of where we are and assess how we need to progress to achieve our goal of using flood and coastal management as a vehicle to mitigate and adapt to sustainable futures given the expected pressures